The Earth Saga
by Marie Hawkins
Summary: AU Sequel to Fears of A Tyrant. Unbeknownst to the Earthlings, their planet is about to receive six alien visitors; the Saiyans. It's up to Chi-Chi to protect the Dragonballs and save her planet from these seemingly selfish visitors.
1. The Martial Arts Tournament

Chi-Chi was up before the sun. She walked quietly outside and stood on the balcony. She let the chilling city breeze rush past her. The city was a completely different experience for her. The only type of city setting she had lived in was when she lived with her father. When she left to train with Master Roshi, she didn't get to see very many other people. Besides Krillin, that is. She sighed. She wished her father would visit her before she left for the World Martial Arts Tournament. Being cooped up with Master Roshi and Krillin was almost murder. Still, she didn't deserve the right to complain. She had learned much from her training. She was prepared for the tasks ahead of her. She was going to take home the title of champion. She could feel it.

As she expected, her father didn't show up. He would be in the group of spectators no doubt. She walked wordlessly alongside Master Roshi and Krillin. She didn't care to hear what the two were excitedly discussing. She had learned to block out their conversations. A loud voice interrupted her calm.

"All registered fighters please report to the arena at this time," came the booming voice. This was it. Chi-Chi's heart started pounding with excitement.

"Well, boys," Master Roshi said, "Here's where we split!" He smiled encouragingly. Normally, Chi-Chi would have angrily protested when he generalized and addressed her as a boy. But she was too focused on her goal to care. She and Krillin waved goodbye to Master Roshi and headed towards the arena with the other fighters.

"Do you think we have a shot this year, Chi-Chi?" Krillin asked. Chi-Chi laughed.

"Of course we have a shot. We've done excellently in the other Tournaments. We've been finalists every year."

"You think body odor guy is coming back this year?" Krillin asked, a hint of worry in his voice.

"I don't know," Chi-Chi said, smiling at the memory. "For your sake let's hope not." She smiled at the scowling Krillin. They stopped amongst a large group of other fighters. The announcer began to state the rules. Chi-Chi didn't really listen. She'd done this before. All that mattered right now was endurance. If she could make it through the preliminaries using minimal strength, her fights in the semifinals would be simple.

The next few hours were all a blur. She drew her number. She didn't have to fight for a while. She stood aloof, silently watching all the other competitors. She kept an eye out for Tien and Yamcha, but hadn't seen them yet. She had no doubt they'd be here, and she'd like to watch some of their matches, seeing as they'd be her most challenging opponents. While she was scanning the crowd, she stood simultaneously watching Krillin. His first fight was easy, and he won quickly.

When she stepped onto the ring for her first match, she felt the same rush of adrenaline she had felt three years before. She studied her opponent. He was tall and menacing. He had dark, curly hair that was quite untamed, his blue eyes were glowing maliciously, and his lips were twisted into a sneer.

"This is insulting," he said. "Me? Fighting a girl? This match won't last ten seconds." Chi-Chi laughed and put her guard up. The muscles in her body were coiled, ready to strike. Normally, she would be angry, but too much anger would ruin her concentration.

"You're probably right," she said. When the match began, her opponent rushed forward. He reared back, preparing to attack her with his full strength. She quickly stepped out of his way, and delivered a swift, sharp kick to his spine. He staggered forward and let out a howl of rage. He tried to swipe her feet out from underneath her, but was once again unsuccessful. He had let his guard down near his abdomen. Chi-Chi delivered a powerful series of punches to his stomach, knocking him backwards out of the ring.

"Ring-out!" cried the announcer. Chi-Chi stood and walked calmly away, ignoring her opponent's angry remarks. If the whole tournament was going to be like this, she might have an even better shot at the championship title than she thought.

She watched Krillin's next few matches, ignoring everyone else. She cheered loudly for her friend as, time and time again, he was victorious. Her matches were equally as simple. The crowd of opponents was slowly diminishing, and the competition became a little tougher. Krillin almost lost because of a ring-out, but was able to regain his footing and win.

Chi-Chi stepped forward for her match. She was greeted by her opponent: Yamcha. He hadn't changed much since she'd last seen him. His hair was shorter and his muscles were slightly bulkier, but he was still the same old Yamcha.

"Hey, Princess," he said, grinning and putting his guard up. "I've been training hard, so don't feel too bad when I win."

"We'll see," she said, though internally she was hardly confident. Yamcha was a formidable opponent. If she didn't concentrate, she could easily lose. Her muscles tensed and she stared forward, waiting. Once she heard the gong signal the beginning of the match, she was flying towards Yamcha as fast as her feet would carry her. He was ready for her and blocked her first attacks. He swung at her head, narrowly missing. Her next moves were instinct, but she could feel her fist connecting with Yamcha's jaw. He was stunned and took several steps backward. Chi-Chi smiled to herself.

"I didn't want to have to bring out the big guns this early," he said, "but it looks like I'll have to." Chi-Chi knew what he meant by this. She'd only seen his Wolf Fang Fist in action, never been on the receiving end. This wasn't something she wanted to change. As Yamcha charged forward, she stood still, concentrating. At the last second, she leaned her body out of his way, leaving only her foot behind. Yamcha tripped and fell to the ground. He was quickly back on his feet, rushing towards Chi-Chi. This time she rushed towards him, too. She threw quick punches and dodged his as best as she could. She delivered a kick to his chest, sending the weakened Yamcha stumbling backwards. He collapsed, breathing heavily. The countdown began. The announcer reached ten and Yamcha hadn't moved. Chi-Chi had won. She hoped Yamcha wasn't hurt too badly, and made a mental note to go and see him after the tournament if he wasn't better.

The hours seemed to melt into each other as the day progressed. Soon, only the semifinalists were left. Both Chi-Chi and Krillin had succeeded in reaching the semifinals. Tien made it as well. Amidst her celebrating with her friends, Chi-Chi observed the other semifinalists. She had watched at least one of each of their matches. They were all strong, but couldn't be too much of a challenge. She'd only have problems fighting Tien. There was one opponent, however, that made Chi-Chi's confidence falter. This girl kept mostly to herself, occasionally casting a dark glance around her surroundings. She was dressed in an odd sort of armor and Chi-Chi wasn't sure of her eyes were playing tricks- but it seemed this girl had a tail! Her tail wasn't what unnerved Chi-Chi, though. It was the girl's expression. Her dark eyes seemed so sad and so angry, as though there was a war being waged in her mind. Her tall face was framed by her jagged, spiky, jet black hair, and she appeared to have a perpetual frown.

Chi-Chi hadn't trained for over ten years only to not recognize that this match was going to be interesting.


	2. The Opponent

"-And so I only barely won," Krillin said, simultaneously attempting to be modest and to impress Bulma. Bulma didn't look impressed, however. Her mind was a little bit preoccupied with Yamcha. Chi-Chi had apologized to both Yamcha and Bulma, but Bulma seemed a little more steamed about it than Yamcha.

"Hey," Master Roshi said, stealing Krillin's thunder. "Check out that hottie over there." The old man laughed gleefully. Their small group sighed, but turned their attentions to Master Roshi's new crush nonetheless.

"You _can't_," Tien said, shaking his head. Chi-Chi nodded in agreement. Master Roshi had his eye set on the quiet girl with the tail. There was something about her that seemed off, but Master Roshi was too preoccupied with the girl's figure to notice.

"Why not?" Roshi asked, taking on the whining tone of a two year old boy. "Look at her…" Master Roshi's voice trailed off and Chi-Chi was glad of it. She didn't think she would like what came at the end of that sentence.

"She doesn't look like she wants to be messed with," Chi-Chi said gently, "And besides, I don't really think she's your type."

"Since when have you cared what my type was?" Master Roshi asked. Chi-Chi shrugged. This clearly wasn't a battle she was going to win.

"Fine. Go talk to her, ask her for her number, and see where that gets you," she said, crossing her arms stubbornly. She half hoped he would get a really good beating. Master Roshi hesitated for only a moment, looking back to Tien, who was firmly shaking his head. The old man scoffed and began to saunter off in the strange girl's direction.

Chi-Chi looked on as a- very short- conversation ensued. Master Roshi, trying to be charming and failing quite miserably, struck up a conversation with the girl. Chi-Chi couldn't pick up what he was saying, but no sooner had he began to speak then the dark haired girl glared. Master Roshi began to lose courage and backed up slightly. He continued his one sided conversation, but was abruptly stopped. The dark haired girl stood quickly and twisted the old man's arm forcefully behind his back. She whispered something in his ear, but judging by the expression on her face, it was hardly the kind of thing Master Roshi would _like_ to have whispered in his ear. She shoved Master Roshi away from her and back towards Tien and Chi-Chi, but not before throwing a death glare in their direction as well.

"I think she likes me," Master Roshi said, dazed. Chi-Chi rolled her eyes as she helped her master to stand straight.

"I think you should be a little more careful or you're going to end up being Yamcha's roommate in the medical ward," Tien said, laughing slightly.

"And when that happens, don't say we didn't warn you," Chi-Chi said. Master Roshi was about to reply, but was cut off by a blond haired announcer.

"Congratulations to all of the semifinalists!" he said in a cheery booming voice. "If I could have you all gather closer, we'll begin drawing for the final matches."

Tien and Chi-Chi exchanged glances as they walked toward the blond man along with Krillin and all the other semifinalists. The black haired girl, though close to the blond announcer, was still managing to keep her distance from the others. There was a bored expression on her face.

"The process is simple. When I call your name, please take a number. The number will tell us what match you will fight in, and who your opponent will be. Are there any questions?" He looked around at the group of fighters surrounding him. No one moved. "Great! We'll start with Krillin," he said, consulting the clipboard he carried in his arms.

Krillin walked forward and timidly selected his number. He studied it and then handed it back to the blond man.

"Krillin is number three which puts him in the second match," he said, marking Krillin's name down on a bracket board. "Next we have Tienshinhan." Tien walked forward, selected his number, and the process repeated. Tien was placed in the last bracket. A confident, muscular man whose name Chi-Chi didn't catch was in the second bracket with Krillin.

"Okay, uh, Verspa?" the blond man said, reading the name hesitantly. The silent black haired girl stepped forward and drew her number. She glanced at it before handing it back to the blond man and threw a haughty look at Tien. "Verspa will be fighting Tien in the very last match," the blond man said, writing the girl's name next to Tien's. "Chi-Chi?" the blond man asked. Chi-Chi stepped forward. She drew out a number, nervously. Luckily for her she knew she didn't have to face Krillin, Tien, _or_ the menacing girl, Verspa. She looked at her number. Two. She handed her number to the blond man, and rejoined Tien and Krillin.

"Chi-Chi will be fighting in the very first match," the blond announcer said, cheerily. He continued the process of drawing numbers with the other contestants, but Chi-Chi, Tien, and Krillin were no longer paying attention.

"Wow, Tien," Krillin whispered. "I'm nervous _for_ you. Did you see what she did to Master Roshi? It seems like that Verspa girl has got quite a temper!"

"Just because she likes to defend herself from perverts doesn't mean she has a temper," Chi-Chi said, defending the strange girl. She didn't really know why she came to the girl's defense, she didn't trust her, but the words were out of her mouth before she could really think. "You'd still better be on your guard, Tien," she added quickly.

"No kidding," he agreed. He cast a furtive glance over at the dark haired girl. "I've really got to watch my step around her if I expect to make it to the finals. I've watched lots of her matches. I've never really seen anyone quite like her," he said. He was mostly musing aloud to himself. Chi-Chi followed his gaze for a brief moment. Verspa had moved away from the rest of the group again, and was leaning against a wall in a far corner, sulking in the shadows. Verspa looked in Chi-Chi's direction for only a fraction of a second and it sent shivers down her spine.

"Whatever you do," she said, turning back to Tien, "do your best. And try not to lose. I'd like a _little_ competition at this tournament," she said, trying to lighten the mood. Tien smiled a little, but the slightly troubled look on his face didn't lift.

"Now that all the matches have been assigned," said the announcer, interrupting their conversation, "you have a few minutes to yourself. The semifinals will begin in about half an hour. Make sure you're not late, or you'll be disqualified!" he said his last words cheerily, flashed a smile, and sauntered out of the room.

"Well, looks like all that's left to do is wait," Krillin said.


	3. Kamehameha

Chi-Chi wasn't really listening to the announcer as she walked out into the arena. She couldn't hear him over the roar of the crowd, anyway. It was strange, she'd participated in tournaments before, but for some reason her adrenaline was flowing at a faster pace than usual. She could sense _something_ was going to happen, though she couldn't quite put a finger on _what_.

She faced her opponent for the first match. He was slightly older than she and quite well built. He had a gleam of determination in his eye as he raised his defenses. Chi-Chi followed suit, concentrating. Behind her she heard shouts of encouragement from Tien and Krillin.

As the gong sounded, everything began to happen in a flash. Chi-Chi's opponent was dashing forward. Without really thinking, she charged forward as well. He swung at her head, but she easily dodged. She realized too late that it was a distraction, and was knocked backward by a powerful kick. She felt her breath leave her chest. Chi-Chi narrowed her eyes, and thrust all her will into winning this match. She hadn't trained for endless years only to lose now. With her newfound determination, Chi-Chi advanced upon her opponent once more. He attempted to feign an attack once again, but Chi-Chi was quicker this time. She sent her opponent staggering backwards with a kick of her own. Her attack was met with wild cheers from the crowd as well as her friends. Her opponent managed to regain his footing rather quickly, and dashed towards Chi-Chi. This time, it appeared they were quite evenly matched. As the minutes wore on, Chi-Chi was tiring. Luckily for her, she noticed a flaw in her opponent's defense. He was getting too relaxed. His legs were unprotected. She quickly swept his feet out from under him. He crashed to the ground, but didn't remain there for long. In a flash he had counterattacked and had Chi-Chi's arms pinned behind her back. She struggled and he merely laughed.

"What's so funny?" she asked, angrily. She assumed he was laughing at her, and that only made her angrier.

"You're quite a strong opponent," he began. "But you cannot hope to beat me. I've only just started warming up," he laughed again and added, "I'm the strongest man on this planet."

"Well, it's a good thing I'm not a man," Chi-Chi said, digging her elbow into the man's stomach. Her attack caught him by surprise and she was able to break free from his grip. She put a distance between them. Her opponent was growling angrily. Obviously playtime was over. He was preparing himself for his next attack. She could feel his energy greatly increase. Chi-Chi didn't want to use any of her strongest moves until the very end of the tournament. The final match was the best time to use most of her special attacks, otherwise, her opponent in the finals may have seen her moves from another match. But, if she didn't start a special attack now, she wouldn't make it to the end of the tournament. She knew exactly which attack to use. It was by far her favorite, and one of her most powerful attacks.

Chi-Chi summoned all her energy, put her wrists together, and began to emphasize the word Master Roshi had taught her so many years ago. She hadn't started charging her attack a moment too soon. Her opponent had a trick up his sleeve as well; Chi-Chi could see a net of energy forming. If she didn't gather her energy quickly, she could be paralyzed by this attack. She'd never seen an attack quite like this before and she wasn't really sure what it would _do_, all she knew is she didn't want it to hit her.

"Ka-" She began, quietly at first. Her opponent's net was growing, but Chi-Chi could feel the warmth of her own energy begin to seep to her fingers.

"-me-" she continued, continually increasing the volume of her voice. A soothing white hot light filled her palms.

"-ha-" Her opponent's net of energy was nearly finished. It was floating above his head, ready to ensnare its prey. Chi-chi only hoped she'd be ready to attack when that moment came. She struggled to calm herself.

"-me-" Her opponent rushed forward. Chi-Chi's energy was crackling in her hands. She brought her palms forward, waiting for the right moment.

"-HA!" She shouted. She released all her energy in a wave as her opponent released his energy net. At first, the two masses of energy battled, sending sparks, but Chi-Chi continued to push power into her attack, so it quickly consumed the energy net. The Kamehameha Wave continued to soar forward, knocking her opponent back forcefully. Forcefully enough to make him land out of the ring.

Chi-Chi could barely hear the announcer declare a ring-out over the roar of the crowd. She smiled as she walked back towards Krillin and Tien. Both of her friends were smiling and greeted her with pats on the back.

"Not bad, Chi-Chi," Krillin said. "For a moment there, I was _sure_ he had you."

"Well, the Kamehameha hasn't ever failed Chi-Chi," Tien said, smiling. "Let's hope you're just as lucky in the ring, Krillin."

Krillin's match was hardly exciting. He had always been unfortunate enough to be matched against opponents twice his size. This tournament was no different. Krillin's opponent towered over him and looked down at him menacingly. Chi-Chi cheered in encouragement. She knew Krillin wasn't afraid, but it was nice to know that you had support. As the gong sounded, Krillin's opponent charged, expecting to easily squish him. Krillin was faster than anticipated, however, and managed to get in the first blow. His opponent didn't stagger, or really even move, because of his sheer size. He did feel the impact of the blow and seemed to be angered that someone as small as Krillin could even _touch_ him.

"Come on, Krillin!" Chi-Chi shouted. Krillin weaved in and out of his opponent's legs, practically running circles around him. The giant tried to keep up, but it seemed practically impossible. Krillin, being much faster, was able to get in several kicks and punches. Finally, after delivering a powerful kick to his opponent's jaw, he keeled over and was out cold.

Krillin rejoined his friends grinning hugely. Chi-Chi and Tien congratulated him on his victory. He laughed and blushed in an attempt at false modesty. Chi-Chi rolled her eyes, everyone knew Krillin tried to play the humble part to get attention, but went along with it. The three of them decided to go and visit Yamcha while they were waiting for Tien's match. Chi-Chi had thought her match was slightly difficult. She could only imagine how tough things were going to be for Tien. It looked like Verspa knew exactly what she was doing.


	4. Tien's Fate

Tien looked confident as he stood out in the arena waiting for the gong. He already had his defenses up and had his eyes plastered to Verspa in concentration. Verspa, however, had a bored expression on her face. She was staring off into space, not paying attention to her surroundings at all. Chi-Chi and Krillin exchanged nervous glances.

"Why isn't she putting her guard up?" Chi-Chi asked.

"I don't know," Krillin responded. "Maybe she's sure she's going to beat Tien."

"Let's hope she's wrong about that," Chi-Chi said, quietly.

The gong signaled the beginning of the match, but neither Tien nor Verspa moved. Verspa had finally turned her attentions to Tien, though she still looked bored. She smiled a little when she saw Tien's determined look. Tien charged forward towards Verspa, who was still standing lax, and began to attack. Chi-Chi's eyes could barely follow Verspa's movements as she dodged each and every attack of Tien's. It was apparent Tien couldn't keep up with her movements either, as he began to swing wildly. Verspa quickly moved behind him, and powerfully kicked him in the lower back. Tien lost his footing and crumpled to the ground.

"Tien, get up!" Krillin roared. Both Chi-Chi and Krillin could see that Verspa's next attack was going to hurt. Tien, moving too slowly, was kicked in the ribs and soared across the arena. Verspa merely walked after her opponent, her face still stained with boredom. She stood several feet back and launched some energy blasts in Tien's direction. Chi-Chi clenched her fists. If Tien didn't recover soon this match was going to be over. And if Verspa wasn't careful, she may end up killing Tien, although something told Chi-Chi that Verspa wouldn't really care.

As the smoke from Verspa's blasts cleared, Chi-Chi saw that Tien was standing. He may have gotten hit by one or two blasts, but managed to doge the rest. Tien launched some energy attacks of his own, yelling angrily. Verspa lazily flicked them into a different direction. Once again Tien growled in anger and launched himself towards Verspa. Tien may have clipped her shoulder with a blow, but she was moving too fast for Chi-Chi to tell. Verspa retaliated by delivering a kick to Tien's stomach. Once again, Tien was launched across the arena, wincing in pain. Tien landed inches from the edge of the arena. He stood again, slowly this time. Chi-Chi held her breath; she didn't know how much more of this Tien could take. He ran towards Verspa again, but his strength had greatly decreased. Verspa didn't move or attack Tien; she crossed her arms and stared at him with contempt.

Suddenly, Tien's fist was flying through the air. He'd only been feigning weakness. Chi-Chi smiled to herself. She should have expected something like that from Tien. Verspa didn't move in time, and Tien's blow hit her square in the jaw. She staggered backwards, her expression of boredom gone. In its place was pure fiery rage. Chi-Chi felt a pit form in her stomach. She couldn't help but think that Tien's brave and successful attack had only brought his downfall. Verspa snarled and rushed towards Tien. She kicked him, launching him into the sky, and flew after him. She kicked his damaged ribs and sent him flying back down to the arena. Tien was struggling to stand. This time, his weakness wasn't being feigned. Verspa was rushed towards him again, hit him with several blows, and sent him flying once more. This time, she kept his body up in the air for several more minutes before she hit him back to Earth again. Tien was shaking and could hardly pull himself up.

"Tien," Chi-Chi shouted. "You need to land outside the ring!" She knew the suggestion would enrage him, but it was all she could think to do. He looked over at her.

"What?" he shouted. "Are you crazy?" He was enraged. If he landed outside the ring he would be physically safe, but his pride would be wounded.

"You're going to get yourself killed," Krillin agreed. "Verspa isn't showing you any mercy." Verspa was charging towards Tien again. The fiery rage was still present in her eyes.

"Tien!" Chi-Chi shouted. "NOW!" Tien growled angrily under his breath, but he knew Chi-Chi was right. It didn't look like Verspa was playing around. He had hardly energy left to stand. Tien rolled himself towards the edge of the arena and toppled over just as Verspa's foot began to connect with his torso. Chi-Chi let out a sigh of relief. Tien had lost, but at least he was safe.

As Verspa was declared the winner, she looked darkly around at the cheering crowd, and stalked off. Krillin and Chi-Chi ran forward to help Tien stand.

"Are you alright?" Krillin asked, wrapping one of Tien's arms around his neck. Tien nodded, breathing heavily.

"We should get you to the medical crew," Chi-Chi said, concern showing through in her voice.

"No," Tien said. "I'll be fine. I just need to rest a while." Chi-Chi would have protested further, but Tien had already done as she requested and purposely lost the match. She'd keep an eye on him though, and if his condition wasn't improving, she'd take him anyway. She and Krillin helped Tien sit.

"Good luck to both of you," he said, as he sat. Chi-Chi smiled at him, and raced back to the arena. Chi-Chi's match against Krillin was interesting. Krillin was a strong fighter, but Chi-Chi had a feeling he was holding back. He must not want to face Verspa if she won her next match. Chi-Chi knocked him out of the ring with several energy blasts. As she was declared winner, Chi-Chi walked over to Krillin and offered her hand. He took it and stood, brushing the dirt off his gi.

Both Krillin and Chi-Chi looked on as Verspa competed in her next match. She was just as ruthless to this opponent as she was to Tien. Her opponent hardly stood a chance. He didn't get in any attacks and couldn't keep up with her. In several seconds, he was out cold and Verspa was declared the winner once more.

That left Chi-Chi and Verspa together for the finals. She took a shaky breath. She wasn't sure how long she could last, but she'd certainly try to hold her own. Krillin clapped a hand to her shoulder.

"Well," he said, smiling slightly, "better you than me."


	5. Plight of the Saiyans

Chi-Chi wasn't one to get distracted easily, especially when the stakes for winning were so high, but something from the corner of her eye caught her attention. Off in the distance she could see lights in the sky. They weren't natural lights. It was as though a cluster of stars were falling to the Earth. She looked around, but no one seemed to notice. They were paying too much attention to the ring.

"Hey," a sharp voice interrupted her observations. Chi-Chi turned back to her opponent who had her arms crossed angrily. "Are we going to do this, or are you too busy sightseeing?" Chi-Chi was a little shocked at Verspa's harsh words. She took one quick glance back into the sky. There didn't seem to be much time left before the lights reached Earth's surface. She would have to do her best to make quick work of this match.

Chi-Chi gathered together all her concentration, letting her adrenaline pulsate and her muscles tense. She took a deep breath. She could feel this girl's energy, as well as her anger, and both were quite powerful forces.

Observing that Chi-Chi was finally serious, Verspa moved from the opposite side of the arena right next to her. Chi-Chi barely had time to think before her opponent struck. Chi-Chi's shoulder was clipped by a powerful jab. Instantly her whole arm began to go numb. She knew that Verspa was fast, but it seemed she was faster than Chi-Chi had realized. Verspa quickly began to attack again, this time impacting Chi-Chi's jaw.

_No,_ Chi-Chi thought. _I'm not going to lose. Not like this._ She began to move as quickly as she knew how, but she couldn't keep up with her opponent. She was only a few seconds slower. She began to swing wildly, hoping that she would make contact with some part of her opponent. She was lucky enough to get in a couple hits. At first, it seemed like her attacks were doing nothing. As the seconds wore on, she could see they were having some slight effect. Still, she was sure that Verspa would be able to hold out longer. Chi-Chi couldn't keep up with this speed. It was nearly impossible and very frustrating. Chi-Chi let out a cry of rage and managed to kick the black haired girl backwards. Verspa let out a laugh and charged forward once more.

Chi-Chi heard a cry of panic from the crowd. She allowed herself to look away from the match for only a moment. Surely even Verspa would be curious as to what was happening. The lights in the sky were on top of them. The crowd was running in all directions. Things were quickly melting into chaos. Despite what Chi-Chi thought, Verspa used this as a perfect opportunity to attack. She kicked Chi-Chi's jaw, knocking her backwards several feet. Luckily for her, Chi-Chi was still in the ring. The spectators may have disappeared, but Chi-Chi wasn't going to give up on this match.

Verspa finally turned her attention away from Chi-Chi and to the lights that had begun to crash into the Earth. They appeared to be ships of some sort. It seemed as though Verspa recognized them. She stiffened and flew off, keeping her distance from the battle. Chi-Chi looked around to see if any of her friends were still here. She could hear Krillin, and looked towards the sound of his voice. He was standing at a far distance with her father, Gohan, Master Roshi, Tien, Chiatzou, and Bulma. They were safe. As the last ship fell from the sky, she readied herself for whatever might appear. The first ship slowly opened. A man stepped out. He looked normal enough to Chi-Chi. Granted, he was dressed funny. He didn't look too happy and he didn't look like he was here for anything good. Besides, he had ruined her match. She put up her defenses.

"What do you think _you're_ doing?" The Earth woman asked, angrily. Her face was contorted in rage. Kakarot knew she was quite harmless, yet the power in her voice unnerved him. She was quite a beautiful creature; she was slender and strong looking, her long black hair pulled out of her face. He wasn't quite sure how to respond to her, so he didn't. She continued to speak, angrily.

"You've just destroyed half the arena and frightened off thousands of people! What exactly do you want?" there was no point in ignoring her now.

"The Dragonballs," he said simply. He hoped that she would be inclined to help them find what they were looking for, but he doubted she would. His answer had enraged her even more.

"Oh, I have had just about _enough_ of you power-hungry people!" She yelled, charging forward. Kakarot didn't attempt to move out of her way. He didn't believe she was strong enough to do any sort of damage. When her foot collided with his chest, however, he changed his mind. She was a lot stronger than he had expected. He was knocked backwards. He righted himself quickly. He knew that his father had specifically told him they were not here for a fight. But in reality, he hadn't started the fight, this girl had. And she needed to finish what she had started. He looked quickly behind his shoulder. His father wasn't out of his pod yet, so Kakarot had time. He rushed toward the girl. She was only slightly slower than him. When he attacked, she was able to dodge almost everything. But it wasn't enough. She was tiring faster than he was. Kakarot quickly overpowered her. He returned the favor she had paid him previously, and delivered a powerful kick to her chest. She was sent soaring backwards, and landed several feet off. She was struggling to get back up.

Chi-Chi's whole body stung. This guy was stronger than anyone she had ever fought before. If there were more just like him, then there was no way that she could stop them from getting the Dragonballs. She heard quick footsteps approaching her.

"Chi-Chi!" She heard Krillin cry, "Are you alright? That guy just came out of nowhere!" She sat up, slowly. She was quickly encircled by all her friends.

"What is he doing here? What does he want?" Chiatzou asked.

"The Dragonballs," Chi-Chi replied. Her answer was greeted with several groans. "It doesn't look like he's going to put them to good use."

"Well then we've got to stop him before he gets a chance," Tien said. He looked over at the ships the mysterious man had come from. There were more of his kind now. Tien counted five. If one had beaten Chi-Chi that easily, he wasn't sure there was much they could do.

"Kakarot," Bardock scolded angrily. "We're not here to fight. We need these people's assistance."

"Father!" Kakarot protested, "I wasn't the first to attack. I simply told her that we desired the Dragonballs and she got angry."

"The rest of them don't look to happy either," Sona said. She was watching the Earth woman and her friends. Their power-levels weren't very high, but if they decided to attack itt would make things more difficult for them.

"I still don't see how sparing their miserable lives is going to help us," Vegeta said, crossing his arms. "If we just killed them all, we'd have no competition for the Dragonballs."

"We've been over this, Vegeta," Bardock said. "We can't last too much longer in The Underground. We have to ally ourselves with these people, and perhaps they will let the remainder of our people live here."

"Besides," Sona continued, "We don't know where the Dragonballs are. Maybe they do."

Vegeta scoffed. He didn't see how a planet of weaklings was supposed to make any kind of useful ally, especially against Frieza. He cursed their luck. Why couldn't there have been another planet, a planet of warriors that possessed Dragonballs?

The five Saiyans waited as the Earth people approached quickly.

"You're not taking the Dragonballs," said the girl Kakarot attacked. She was determined; Bardock had to give her that. The fighters from Earth put up their defenses. Kakarot, Raditz, and Vegeta coiled to attack as well. Bardock and Sona stood relaxed.

"We're not here to fight you for the Dragonballs," Sona said calmly.

"So you think we're just going to hand them over?" Chi-Chi asked. "Well you can think again!"

"We're here for your help," Sona continued. It killed her to say those words. She never expected her people would require the assistance of such a weak race. But she knew if she didn't swallow her pride, her people would have no hope. The warriors from Earth stopped in their tracks. There was a beat of silence.

"You want… _us_ to help you?" Chi-Chi asked, confused. She couldn't imagine what these people would possibly need their help with. They were stronger and faster than any Earthling.

"What can we do?" Gohan asked, speaking for the first time. Gohan was a man of few words, but he was wise and kind. The strange visitors sensed this, and the tensed males relaxed slightly.

"Our home planet is besieged by a powerful tyrant named Frieza," Bardock began. "I was blessed with the gift of foresight, and was able to save a group of my people."

"But he's discovered us," Raditz said. "He's picking us off one by one. We need the Dragonballs to help us conquer him, or we'll all die out." The Earthlings were silent, pondering over the information they had just received. Chi-Chi wondered how strong this Frieza was. If he was able to conquer such a strong race, he must be one of the most powerful beings in the universe.

"If we don't beat him in time, I can assure you he'll come to Earth. He knows about the Dragonballs," Sona said. Chi-Chi pitied these people. Sure, they were aggressive, but they were only trying to save their race. If Earth had the Dragonballs, shouldn't they use them to help? Wasn't that a good cause?

"Well, then, you're in luck. I know just the person who can help you," Chi-Chi spoke up. She looked over at her companions. None of them were protesting her actions; they seemed to be silently agreeing with her decision. Chi-Chi put her hand on Bulma's shoulder. "This is Bulma. She knows exactly where to find the Dragonballs.


	6. The Bonds of Trust

Harsh laughter filled the air, but it didn't belong to any of those on the ground.

Verspa floated down from her perch in the sky, and landed right in front of the five foreigners. Chi-Chi looked from Verspa to the new arrivals. Chi-Chi noticed that the others had tails like Verspa. Verspa did look similar to all of them, particularly an angry looking male with spiky hair.

"You finally made it," she said, smugly, "It's about time."

"Verspa?" Vegeta asked. He was shocked to see his sister. "I thought that you were-"

"You thought I was dead?" she completed his sentence for him. "Really, brother, I thought you of all people would be able to see through that lie."

"Then what are you doing here?" he asked. He was cautious. His sister was a bit different. Her attitude towards him was colder than usual.

"For the same reason you are," she said, "I want the Dragonballs. Not for myself, of course. Frieza sent me here for them. That assignment will take hardly any time, so I figured I'd have a little fun while I was here."

"You-You're getting them for Frieza?" Vegeta asked, enraged. "What about your people? You'd turn your back on them? You'd turn your back on _me_?"

"This is a lot bigger than you and me, brother," she said. "When Frieza succeeds in his mission, I will be the second most powerful being in the universe. He will grant me anything I wish. So I think that getting seven Dragonballs is a small favor in return." She looked at her brother's face, contorted in rage. He balled his hands into fists. She laughed. "You don't honestly think that you and your rag-tag band of low levels can beat me, do you?"

"I don't need these low levels' help. I'd like the pleasure of killing you myself," he snarled.

"That's exactly what Father said, and he didn't get the chance either," she laughed. Vegeta launched himself through the air towards his sister. Never before had he been so enraged. She was the only person he had allowed himself to trust and get attached to, and she stabbed him in the back. She was turning her back on the Saiyan people just so she could have a taste of power. That was unforgiveable. He reared back to punch her, but she quickly maneuvered out of his way, easily dodging his attack. She kicked his back, sending him soaring back to Earth's surface. Chi-Chi saw the one called Raditz step forward to help, but was held back.

"Don't," said the green clad alien. "This isn't our fight." Verspa slowly lowered herself back to Earth's surface.

"You're getting careless, brother," she said, watching Vegeta stand.

"Don't call me that," he snarled, slowly advancing on his sister.

"That's not a title you can simply cast aside," she laughed, watching her brother's careful movements.

"You've managed to do that quite well," he said. He advanced quickly, his fist contacting with her stomach. Verspa keeled over in pain. Vegeta didn't show any mercy. Without waiting for her to recover, he struck again, sending her to her knees. "You killed our father. You doomed our entire race. You have no pride left," he growled in between hits. Verspa was gasping for breath. Vegeta stopped his attacks for a mere second, and she retaliated with an energy blast sending him back several feet.

"I don't think you understand what exactly is going on here, brother," she said, walking towards him. Vegeta sent several energy blasts in her direction, but missed. She continued to advance, but was caught by surprise when Vegeta rushed forward as well. He knocked her backwards, and kept his foot on her chest so she was unable to move.

"Then please, do explain," he said, dangerously quiet. He could see the fear in his sister's eyes. He hadn't expected her to be beaten this easy, but she was acting unusually overconfident. He wasn't sure that he was going to believe anything that came out of her mouth, but no matter how angry he was at her, he simply couldn't do what he knew he must: he couldn't kill her. She couldn't actually be working for Frieza, it just wasn't possible. She hated him almost as much as Vegeta did.

"You don't actually think I'm stupid enough to hand the Dragonballs over to Frieza, do you?" she said, laughing. "What I want is to give him false hope. To make him think that his goal is within reach. And then _we_ use the Dragonballs however we see fit."

Vegeta ground his foot harder into her chest. He wanted to believe her. This plan seemed more like something his sister would do. He waited for a sign from his comrades. They didn't know his sister quite as well as he did, but perhaps they had a better perspective. They weren't as biased as he was. There were several moments of silence as he glared down at his sister. "Vegeta," Raditz spoke up. Vegeta turned his attentions to his friend. "Let her go," he said. "We don't really have any choice but to trust her." Vegeta quickly removed his foot from his sister's chest. He offered her his hand and she took it, standing.

"What was that all about?" he asked, angrily.

"I had to make sure you were on the right side," she said. "Frieza has spies everywhere, you know that. I just don't really know who to trust anymore."

"And you didn't think you could trust me?" he asked, crossing his arms. "Idiot," he scoffed. Internally, he was relieved. His sister was alive, and she was on his side right where she belonged; right where she'd always been all these years. All he needed were the seven Dragonballs and then, perhaps, he might know what happiness feels like.


	7. Gohan's Gift

"I'm just not entirely sure we can trust them," Chi-Chi said, pulling her knees up to her chin. She was in the Briefs' living room with her father and Gohan. Bulma and her parents had graciously offered to house the group before they left to search for the Dragonballs. Gohan sighed and looked down at his hands.

"I don't understand, Chi-Chi," her father said quietly. "You were so eager to help before and now you don't trust them?"

"It's not _all_ of them," she replied. "Just Verspa. If she were here to get help, why would she bother fighting in the tournament?" Her father shrugged in reply. Chi-Chi sighed. She just had so many questions about these six strangers that were going unanswered. It was difficult for her to muster up the courage to ask the necessary questions since she felt none of the visitors really liked her. Or _any_ Earthling for that matter. She couldn't pretend that she particularly liked any of them either. From what she had seen already, these people were violent and brash, though it seemed that they meant well. Except Verspa. Chi-Chi didn't trust her and doubted if she ever would. At least, not after the way she had treated Tien. Chi-Chi's thoughts were interrupted by Gohan.

"Hello, Kakarot," he said, cheerily. His eyes were sparkling as he looked into the stranger's face. Chi-Chi turned to follow Gohan's gaze. Kakarot was sauntering into the room with an odd smile on his face.

"This sure is a strange planet," Kakarot said, sinking into one of the unoccupied couches. He stretched and rested his arms behind his head. Chi-Chi stared at him in silence. She was still upset at him for attacking her earlier, even though she'd technically started it.

"Where exactly are you from?" Chi-Chi's father asked. All eyes were on Kakarot. It was a question none of the visitors had answered, and all the Earthlings were curious. Kakarot wasn't fazed by any of the attention. He merely continued to sit in his lax pose and return the curious stares.

"Vegeta," he replied shortly. "I lived underground with a group of other Saiyans." So they were Saiyans. At least Chi-Chi now had a name for the foreigners. There was one more thing on her mind that she felt she really needed to know about.

"And, your tail?" she asked, hesitantly. She was still on edge around him, as though afraid he would attack again. The thing that bothered her most about the Saiyans was that it seemed like they enjoyed inflicting harm upon their enemies. Verspa had obviously enjoyed almost killing Tien, and Kakarot didn't think twice about attacking her.

Kakarot gave her a puzzled look. "What about it?" he asked.

"Well, why do you have it?" she asked, slightly annoyed. She could feel Kakarot studying her intently. She shifted uncomfortably, but continued to stare forward at him.

"I guess you don't have tails then," he said finally.

"Obviously not," Chi-Chi said, crossing her arms.

"Well, a Saiyan's tail is their source of power. When there is a full moon we are able to transform into Oozaru," he said, calmly. He looked around at confused faces. "An Oozaru is a great ape," he said, clarifying gently. "It's a pity Earthlings don't have tails. I bet you guys could use them," he mused aloud, innocently. His comment enraged Chi-Chi for some strange reason. It was as though she was determined to hate the Saiyan, but without good reason. At times he did come across as rather prideful. In this instance, it was as though he thought Earthlings were beneath him. Even if that were true- and it most likely was- it was rude of him to point out. She hadn't decided to help the Saiyans because she had nothing better to do.

She stood quickly, glaring at Kakarot.

"We don't need your stupid _tails_. And if they really gave you so much power, you wouldn't have to come to us for help," she said, stiffly. Once she had finished speaking, she turned sharply on her heel and walked out of the room. She stood in the hallway, out of Kakarot's sight, looking on into the living room still curious. As much as she was sure she hated the Saiyan, there was something about him that fascinated her.

Kakarot stood to follow after the strange Earth woman. He wasn't sure what he had said that upset her so. The Earthling called Gohan raised a hand.

"Let her go, Kakarot," he said, gently. "She's a bit conflicted at the moment." Kakarot sat back down, thoroughly confused. His father had told him when he was younger that girls were quite strange. Kakarot hadn't ever anticipated that they'd be _this _strange.

"We do have a big day ahead of us tomorrow," said the Ox-King, stretching his great arms and stifling a yawn. "Even with Bulma's locator, it could take us a long time to get all the Dragonballs." Gohan nodded.

"If we're lucky, most of the Dragonballs will be in one place. But that depends on what you mean by lucky."

"What do you mean?" Kakarot asked, scratching his head. Gathering seven Dragonballs didn't sound like too difficult of a task, especially if there were devices that could track their location. Gohan's comment was a little disheartening.

"I believe that most of the Dragonballs are in the possession of a very evil one," he said slowly. He ran his fingers down his white mustache.

"Worse than Frieza?" Kakarot asked. He wondered if there could even _be_ someone alive in the universe worse than Frieza. It seemed impossible, but Kakarot had learned to never assume. The Ox-King shook his head.

"I don't know. From the way your father described Frieza, this being's power can't compare. Frieza is surely much, much worse."

"Ox-King and I fought this evil Namekian long ago. We defeated him, but he had reincarnated himself. Our planet's guardian, Kami, has a connection with this Namekian. We believe he is trying to gather the Dragonballs."

"We'll help you stop him," Kakarot offered cheerily. He would do anything it took to get the Dragonballs. Besides, this new enemy sounded like quite a fantastic challenge. Gohan and the Ox-King smiled.

"I like your spirit, Kakarot," said Gohan, softly. "I have a gift for you. You mustn't show it to any of the others until after we've gathered all six of the other Dragonballs."

"Six?" asked Kakarot. Perhaps they had been told wrong, but he was sure there were seven. Gohan was reaching into his pocket. He extended closed hands to Kakarot. Kakarot took what was being offered him. He looked down at the cool, smooth object he now held in his hands. It was an orange sphere with four scarlet stars suspended in the middle. It was one of the most curious objects he had ever seen, but he knew without a doubt it was a Dragonball. He looked back up at Gohan and the Ox-King, both of whom were smiling.

"Protect it, eh?" Gohan laughed.

"It's our gift to you," Ox-King smiled. "And don't worry about Chi-Chi. She'll come around. She likes you, she just doesn't know it yet.


	8. The First Challenge

They had departed from the Brief household days ago. Chi-Chi was rather irritated they hadn't run into any Dragonballs yet. Bulma claimed they were nearing one, but it seemed like they were making absolutely no progress whatsoever. She knew Gohan had given Kakarot a Dragonball, but she wasn't supposed to know this. Gohan must really like Kakarot if he trusted him enough to give him the four star ball. The four star Dragonball was the only Dragonball her father and Gohan had been able to get their hands on after they defeated King Piccolo. It was special to them, and wasn't something they could easily part with.

"Can we please stop?" Bulma whined. Chi-Chi rolled her eyes and shook her head. They didn't have time to stop every minute Bulma got uncomfortable –which, unfortunately, was quite often.

"We just stopped ten minutes ago, woman," Vegeta snapped. Chi-Chi silently agreed with the Saiyan. They had just started making progress again.

"Yeah, well it's the _desert_," she said, stubbornly, "It's _hot._" She crossed her arms and stopped walking. Chi-Chi sighed. If Bulma didn't come with them they'd never find the Dragonballs.

"Then we'll carry you," Vegeta scoffed. "It would be quicker anyway. Besides, this Dragonball can't be too far ahead."

"I'm not letting you carry me," she said, sternly. Her eyes narrowed as Vegeta walked toward her. His twin looked on with contempt.

"I guess it's a good thing I wasn't asking for permission, then," he growled. He pulled Bulma off her feet and slung her across his shoulder. "Kakarot, carry the other girl," he ordered. Chi-Chi was about to protest. She would let any other Saiyan carry her if it meant Kakarot didn't have to touch her. She was still angry at him and her father's words were running through her head: "She likes you, she just doesn't know it yet." How could her father know whether she liked him or not? At the moment, she knew she didn't like him. Chi-Chi stood stiffly as Kakarot gently lifted her off the ground. Instead of slinging her over his shoulder like Vegeta had with Bulma, he rested his arm behind her knees and supported her back with his other arm.

In a moment they were off the ground, the others flying closely behind them. They had only been flying for mere seconds when Bulma pointed out the small village in which the Dragonball was supposed to be located. The group of them touched down, hardly realizing the streets were void of inhabitants. Bulma was complaining loudly to Vegeta, who seemed to be doing his best to ignore her. Chi-Chi turned to Kakarot.

"Just for future reference," she whispered sharply, "I can fly on my own." Kakarot turned a little red in the face and scratched the back of his head.

"Good to know," he replied. Chi-Chi distanced herself from Kakarot and walked towards Bulma who was still hissing fire at Vegeta.

"-Not _completely_ helpless you know," She said, resting her hands on her hips. Verspa, who until this moment had remained silent, burst with rage.

"Would you stop your whining? That is no way to address a prince," she snapped at Bulma, standing beside her brother. Bulma let out a sort of choked noise and fell silent. Though Chi-Chi didn't agree with Verspa's methods- and still didn't trust the girl- she was glad they had _someone _around to shut Bulma up. Chi-Chi gently tapped her friend on the shoulder.

"The Dragonball?" she reminded her, "Where exactly is it?" Bulma was brought back to Earth with a sound crash. She looked around at all the little houses surrounding them as well as the faces of the Saiyans and Earthlings awaiting her answer. She looked down at her Dragonball locator, studying it closely for a few seconds and chewing her lip in concentration.

"I can't tell," she said finally. "We'll just have to ask around for it, I guess." Chi-Chi sighed. She shouldn't have gotten her hopes up. From the stories that her father and Gohan told, it seemed like finding all seven Dragonballs always took an eternity.

"Okay," Chi-Chi said, walking up to the nearest house. "Let's get started." She knocked on the door and waited for a reply. There was no scuffling of feet rushing to answer the door, so she tried again.

"Hello?" she called out, still knocking. "Is anyone home?" She heard footsteps approach. Raditz, one of the quieter Saiyans- with rather long hair, walked forward grinning boyishly. He turned to Chi-Chi.

"This is how you do it," he said, still smirking. Without taking his eyes off her, he kicked the door of the house in, splintering the wood in several places. Chi-Chi threw him a disapproving look. Raditz shrugged. "Well who doesn't like surprise guests?" he said, motioning for her to walk inside. Chi-Chi did so, looking around the house to see if anyone was home. The others followed her inside, helping with the search for inhabitants.

"Hello?" she called again, halfheartedly this time, and expecting no reply. She heard movement to her left, and caught a glimpse of a man peeking at her over his table. His eyes looked relieved. He retreated underneath his table and Chi-Chi could hear him speaking.

"Sir?" she asked, slowly approaching the table. The man appeared once more, but stood. Chi-Chi saw that his daughter was with him. She was a pretty thing, about her age, with chestnut colored hair and innocent looking eyes.

"It's only the Ox-King's daughter," the man reassured the girl. He smiled at Chi-Chi. "You're safe," he said, wrapping his arm around the girl with the chestnut colored hair.

"We're sorry to have frightened you," Chi-Chi apologized. "We're only looking for something. Maybe you know what it is? Do you know of the Dragonballs?" The girl nodded.

"Yes. There is one in the village it belongs to the village elder. She won't give it away, though," said the girl, speaking in a soft voice.

"Are you sure we can't make her change her mind?" Tien asked.

"She has promised it to the one who can rid our village of the curse," said the girl. Her eyes began to fill with fear as she spoke.

"Curse?" Kakarot asked. The girl nodded, but didn't elaborate further. The other man picked up where she left off.

"Our village is plagued by a monster," he began. "We have been for several years. The monster takes many different shapes and we never know when he is coming. He is supposed to come today and take my daughter, Pocawatha. We thought you were him," he said. As he spoke of losing his daughter, he slipped his arm around her shoulders and held her tightly to him.

"If we defeat this monster, we can have the Dragonball?" Kakarot asked. He had a sound of curiosity in his voice. It seemed he was eager to fight and defeat this monster. The man nodded.

"That is what the elder has promised. But do not think you can defeat this monster so easily," he said. "Many of our people have tried and failed. He is devilishly cunning."

"We'll take care of your monster problem," said Vegeta, crossing his arms. "You just be ready to go and get that Dragonball."

"You said that the monster was returning today?" Bardock asked. Chi-Chi hadn't heard him say two words their whole journey until now. The man and his daughter nodded. "Would you mind if we wait with you until he arrives? It should be a fairly simple ordeal." The man and his daughter looked wary at first, but Bardock spoke with such confidence that their doubts soon melted away. They nodded their heads in consent. They had scarcely done so, when Chi-Chi felt the ground underneath her begin to shake. The girl named Pocawatha stiffened, her eyes filling with fear.

"He's here," she whispered. "Oolong is here."


	9. Raditz's New Companion

Chi-Chi stood still as a rock. She couldn't help but think how stupid this was. Why did _she_ have to be the bait? Everyone else got at least a semi-important job. She crossed her arms angrily. The door opened slowly. Chi-Chi looked at the monster entering the house.

She couldn't compare this Oolong creature to anything, for it didn't look like anything she'd ever seen before. He was incredibly tall with dark red skin and haunting eyes. Chi-Chi shuddered. No wonder the people around here were afraid of it. Oolong's face brightened upon seeing her.

"Ah," he said. "My darling Pocawatha," his voice was gravelly and incredibly deep. He flashed a smile in Chi-Chi's direction. Chi-Chi forced her lips to curl into a smile, but she was sure her expression looked more like a snarl than anything.

"Yes, Oolong?" she asked, as sweetly as possible.

"Are you ready to come away with your future husband?" he asked. He reached out his giant red hand. Chi-Chi did her best not to vomit and kick his hand away. Instead, she merely nodded. She wished Kakarot would hurry and step in. Knowing him, though, he was probably enjoying this far too much. Oolong's smile brightened.

"Then climb into my hand, child, and we shall depart," he said, inching his hand closer to her. Chi-Chi heaved a deep sigh and reluctantly began to walk forward towards Oolong's outstretched hand. Just as she was about to set foot on Oolong's hand, Kakarot finally emerged from the shadows.

"I don't know what you think you're doing," he said, standing in a defensive pose in front of Chi-Chi, "but it's going to stop now. " He looked up at Oolong, snarling maliciously. Oolong merely laughed.

"Foolish boy," he said. "You don't think you can keep me from what is rightfully mine, do you?"

"She's not yours," Kakarot said. "She belongs to no one. If she doesn't want to go with you then she doesn't have to." Kakarot lunged at Oolong's hand. Chi-Chi tried her hardest not too laugh. Kakarot was too confident. Even as strong as he was, he wouldn't be able to stop Oolong on his own. Would he?

Oolong seemed to have just as little confidence in Kakarot's abilities as Chi-Chi did. He laughed and tried to draw his hand back. To his surprise- and Chi-Chi's- he found he could not move it an inch. Now it was Kakarot's turn to laugh. With his grip on Oolong's hand, he managed to push him out of the house. Chi-Chi followed eager to see what would happen to the monster. Kakarot had pushed too hard, and had to let go of Oolong's oversized hand. Oolong immediately stood and ran out of the village, but Chi-Chi noticed he was smiling for some reason.

"Raditz!" Kakarot yelled. "You're up!" Chi-Chi saw no sign of Raditz, only Oolong's retreating figure. She rounded on Kakarot.

"What in Kami's name do you think you're doing?" she said, putting her hands on her hips. "While you're busy making _sport_ and waiting around for your brother, Oolong is getting away! We need to follow him!" Kakarot feebly put his hands up as a sign of surrender.

"Chi-Chi," he said, "Raditz is waiting by the gate leading into the town. Oolong won't go far. Even if he does get past Raditz, the rest of my family is nearby." Chi-Chi sighed. There was no problem with Kakarot's logic, and it bugged her. Still, she took pleasure in the fact that he seemed to be afraid of her.

"Well, we don't want to miss all the excitement," she said, grabbing his arm. Together they walked to the gate in the front of the town. Raditz walked happily up to them. He had some pink lump in his arms.

"Humans sure are strange," he said, addressing his brother.

"You got him?" Kakarot asked, looking into Raditz arms.

"Yeah," he said, showing his brother the limp form in his arms. "I couldn't kill the bugger, though." Chi-Chi neared Raditz and saw that Oolong was no longer a menacing giant. He was only a pig.

"What?" she said aloud as she studied Oolong's limp form. This was getting ridiculous.

"Are the others back yet?" Raditz asked. Chi-Chi was puzzled. She wasn't aware the others had gone anywhere all that far.

"No," Kakarot said. "They found the other girls, and they should be back soon," he said.

"_When_ did you have time to relay these messages to each other, and how come _I_ didn't hear them?" she demanded to know.

"See this?" Kakarot asked, taking the weird mechanical device off his face. The Saiyans wore these devices most of the time, Chi-Chi had observed. She wasn't entirely sure of their function. Until now. "We can communicate through these as well as read others' power levels."

"Those devices read chi?" she asked. "I thought that was a skill you had to train to learn," she was muttering to herself now.

"You mean you can read a power level without a scouter?" Raditz asked, awestruck. Chi-Chi nodded. "You'll have to teach me," he said. Chi-Chi said nothing. If she had a skill the Saiyans didn't, she wasn't quite sure she was ready to share it.

"Looks like you three handled things excellently," came a deep voice. Chi-Chi turned. Kakarot's parents- as well as Bulma, Tien, Vegeta, and Verspa- had returned. They were each carrying a young girl in their arms. Chi-Chi had thought that the girls would have been happy to be rescued, but most of them looked unhappy.

"To be honest, it wasn't that much of a challenge," Kakarot said. His tone gave away his disappointment. "But as long as we get a Dragonball, I suppose that's all that matters." He brightened a little, remembering the reward he had been promised.

"We only need to find the elder now," Bardock said. He set down the girl he was carrying in his arms and the others followed suit. The girls promptly ran off to find their families. Sona stopped one- the cheeriest of the group- before she left.

"Would you mind taking us to the village elder?" she asked softly. The young girl obliged and began to walk quickly, motioning for the rest of them to follow. They didn't have to walk far. People had begun to timidly peek out of their houses and crowd the street. They were greeted halfway by the village elder, Pocawatha's father, and Pocawatha.

"So," said the village elder upon seeing the group of saviors. "You have rid our village of Oolong's curse. What is it that we can do for you?"

"We only ask for the Dragonball," Tien said, speaking for the group. The elder studied them for a moment longer. Shortly, the elder procured a chain from around his neck. On the end was a Dragonball. Suspended within the orange orb were seven scarlet stars.

"This trinket?" asked the elder. Tien nodded. The elder smiled. "Then it is yours. It is of little value to me or my people." He placed the Dragonball into Tien's hands, still smiling. "You and your friends are welcome in our humble village anytime you choose to visit."

"Ow," came a small, gruff voice. Chi-Chi looked. Oolong, the mere pig, was stirring in Raditz arms. He looked up at Raditz, growling. "So you're the bloke that knocked me out. Thanks a lot." The villagers seemed to still be afraid of Oolong even in his least powerful form. They backed up slightly.

"There's nothing to worry about," Raditz assured them. "He's quite harmless." This seemed to calm the villagers, but they paid less attention to their guests. They were more focused on the girls who had finally been reunited with their families.

"Harmless, huh?" Oolong said, folding his arms and pouting. "You'd better watch your back then, pal, 'cause I ain't gonna be harmless for much longer."

"You just _had_ to keep that thing, didn't you?" Vegeta scoffed at his companion. Raditz smiled sheepishly. "I guess some habits never die."

"Let's just hope you can keep it alive longer than most of the specimen you decide to keep as pets," Verspa said, smiling menacingly at Oolong. Oolong's demeanor quickly changed.

"I'm a good pig, I swear," he said, looking up at Raditz. "I can tell that you and I are just going to be the best of friends." Even when trying to save his own life, Oolong managed to slip undertones of sarcasm into his voice.

"There's still daylight out," Sona said. "We should get a move on. We've got six more Dragonballs to find."


	10. Restlessness

Chi-Chi sat calmly under the night sky. They'd made good progress so far. They had three of the seven Dragonballs, though only she and Kakarot knew that. Finding the one star Dragonball had been a piece of cake. A peddler was selling Dragonballs, but most were fake. Bulma was able to find the real one and Verspa was able to ensure that the real Dragonball was given to their party free of charge.

There was little for Chi-Chi to worry about, but she simply couldn't sleep. She pulled her knees up to her chin and hugged her legs. The others had long since fallen asleep. She was sitting by the fire Kakarot had built. The Saiyans didn't really trust anything that was _real_ food, and preferred to catch their own meals. Chi-Chi thought to herself that it was lucky that she woke up; otherwise the fire could have gotten out of hand. She heard footsteps and tensed. She looked around, straining to see in the dark terrain. Kakarot walked closer to the fire, a huge grin on his face. He'd caught another animal.

"You scared me half to death," she hissed at him. He smiled apologetically. Chi-Chi looked from Kakarot to his kill. "You Saiyans never get full, do you?" she asked. It was true. Just one of them could eat three times what Chi-Chi could. Kakarot began to prepare his kill for roasting on a spit. Chi-Chi looked on in silence for several moments, studying the Saiyan. The firelight danced gently across his face. Chi-Chi had never studied Kakarot this intently before, and her eyes were curious to explore. Her eyes wandered from his face and took note of his well shaped muscles. For a moment she wondered if he'd used his arms for anything other than fighting, like embracing a loved one. She caught herself in the middle of the thought and quickly brushed it aside. She refused to let herself think such things about Kakarot.

"So, you can't sleep either, huh?" Kakarot asked, finally breaking the silence. He turned his eyes away from his kill for a moment so he could look at Chi-Chi.

"No," she sighed, "I hate sleeping in the dynocap houses. They're too stuffy," she admitted. While she preferred shelter over her head as opposed to the night sky, she could only stay in one of those makeshift houses for so long. Especially when she had to share with so many other people. Kakarot relaxed into a sitting position. Chi-Chi and Kakarot were sitting close together by the fire, inches away from each other.

"It sounds strange," Kakarot said, glancing at her, "but I've never really been outdoors that much. I'd much rather be out here than in there," he jerked his head in the direction of the dynocap house. He carefully rotated the meat on the spit.

"How come you haven't spent time outdoors?" Chi-Chi asked. She was sure she would die if she didn't get to enjoy an occasional summer night, or spring day.

"My people have to remain underground," he said. "Otherwise Frieza will find us." His voice had a hint of sadness buried within it. Chi-Chi couldn't imagine what it was like to spend your whole life in fear and hiding.

"What's it like underground?" she asked, her curiosity aroused. Kakarot shrugged indifferently.

"Well, it's pretty much just a giant cave, nothing really special," he sighed. "There are two or three caves in all, each connected by a tunnel system that was built a long time ago."

"How did you stand it?" Chi-Chi asked. She hadn't really meant to ask the question aloud, but the words poured out of her mouth before she could stop them.

"I didn't know any different," he shrugged. "My planet was destroyed when I was a baby. Frieza made sure the surface wasn't recognizable."

"Frieza," Chi-Chi muttered darkly. "Once you get the Dragonballs, I'd like to stick around just to see you beat him."

"I don't think that would be wise," Kakarot said speaking slowly. His eyes were turned back towards his meat, but the firelight was reflecting in them, giving their deep color a new angle. Chi-Chi gave him a quizzical look. She would almost say she was offended. Did he honestly think she was too weak to stand on the sidelines? She wasn't stupid enough to think that she was _actually_ strong enough to fight this creature.

Kakarot, upon noticing Chi-Chi's unhappy look, decided to elaborate further: "All I meant was, there's no telling with Frieza," he said, speaking quickly. "He may attack you."

"Why does that matter?" Chi-Chi hissed. Kakarot had never expressed any interest in keeping Chi-Chi out of danger. He'd never gone out of his way to inquire after her feelings. Why should her well-being matter now?

"I-" he began. He nervously scratched his head. "I just don't want you to get hurt," he said. He looked over at her sheepishly. Chi-Chi immediately felt remorse at her thoughts. Maybe Kakarot _did_ care. He could come off as heartless sometimes, but that didn't mean he was.

"Oh," was all she could think to say. She studied his face again which-she thought- had seemed to flush a slight pink. Feeling her gaze upon him, he turned his attentions from the spit once more. A staring contest of sorts began. Chi-Chi wasn't really competing; she was merely losing herself in the endless depth of Kakarot's dark eyes. She was remotely aware of a strong, yet gentle hand running down the length of her cheek. Her eyes must have been playing tricks, for the dark expanse of Kakarot's eyes seemed to be increasing, as if nearing her own eyes. It wasn't until she felt the warmth of his lips barely brushing hers that she realized it wasn't an illusion. She snapped back to her senses and drew away.

"We've got a long day tomorrow," she said, standing quickly, mortified. "I'll see you in the morning, Kakarot." She turned to leave, doing her best to avoid observing the expression written on Kakarot's face. She walked quickly back to the dynocap house. So, Kakarot thought he could just suddenly act gentle and kind and she would forget his earlier hostility? She scolded herself for giving in to her desires, even if nothing had technically happened between the two of them. Kakarot had _attacked_ her. He would have attacked all of them if he hadn't been stopped. He was- frustrating.

Chi-Chi sighed angrily as she collapsed onto her bed and pulled her covers up to her chin. Her lips were still tingling pleasantly from where Kakarot's had brushed them. He was filling her head, though she tried her hardest to push him out. They couldn't be anything more than teammates. That was all the attachment she'd allow herself to feel for him. He was a foreigner. Once he defeated Frieza, she'd probably never see him again. The fact that this disappointed her was also aggravating. _Why_? What was it about Kakarot that had her on edge, curious to know more? She tried to brush that thought aside. It didn't matter what made Kakarot so tantalizing. She refused to love him. There was only room for one emotion towards him, and it couldn't be love. She wouldn't give in. She hoped.


	11. Father's Foe

"We're almost there," Bulma said consulting her Dragonball locator. "It's the last stretch, guys," she smiled encouragingly; "The others are all in a cluster together, only a few miles away." Chi-Chi sighed in relief. They'd been traveling for days, trying to get closer to the other Dragonballs. She was glad they had almost gathered all of them.

Her companions also took heart at Bulma's reassurance. They picked up their pace, walking and talking happily amongst themselves. Chi-Chi fell into step beside Tien and Krillin. They both smiled at her, cheered by the fact that their mission was almost complete.

"Did you ever think we'd find all the Dragonballs this quickly?" Krillin asked her. He was clearly excited. Chi-Chi shook her head.

"I was sure it would take longer," she admitted. "Especially with some of the stories my father and Gohan have told me. It took them ages."

"But they didn't have Bulma with them," Tien interjected. "We're lucky to have that locator." Chi-Chi nodded. If Bulma hadn't come along, it would have taken them much longer.

"What I want to know is why there are so many Dragonballs in one place," Krillin said. His voice took on a tone of skepticism. "Don't the Dragonballs scatter in different places once you make a wish?"

"Yeah," Tien nodded.

"Then am I the only one that has a little red warning flag popping up in their head or what?" he asked. "Seriously, someone powerful must have gathered all these Dragonballs together. What are we going to do? Just walk up and demand them?"

"You must not have seen some of the Saiyans, Krillin," Chi-Chi laughed slightly. "I don't think getting a few Dragonballs will be a problem for them."

"That's true," Krillin agreed. "But just between you and me, I'm not sure I trust them. Not all of them, anyway." Chi-Chi nodded. She knew exactly how Krillin felt. Though the Saiyans were in need of the Earthlings' help, it seemed as though the Saiyans were the ones demanding to be in charge. Some of them were kind, but others were rough and their manners were horrible. Then again, none of them were used to Earth's customs, Chi-Chi reasoned. That was something she first noticed when they started their journey together. Saiyans had awful eating habits. Anything they could kill, they would eat. . From time to time, Chi-Chi wondered if survival on Planet Vegeta meant killing and eating everything before someone else came along and took it. Frankly, it disgusted Chi-Chi, and she did her best to see that the Saiyans were properly fed. There were other things the Saiyans did that Chi-Chi didn't understand. She'd heard mentions of a class system, but never understood it. She'd have to ask about it later.

"We're here," Bulma said, stopping suddenly. The rest of the company barely had time to stop without running into each other. Bulma looked around, her face filled with dismay.

"There's nothing here," Tien stated. "Are you sure the locator is working?" he asked. This only made Bulma angry.

"Of _course_ it's working, you idiot. This thing never malfunctions on my watch," Bulma yelled. Still, she recalibrated the locator just to be sure.

"Then where are the Dragonballs?" Krillin asked timidly.

"I don't know, okay?" Bulma growled. She was about to continue her rebuttal, but was silenced by Sona's hand. Attentions were turned to Bardock and Sona, both of whom were concentrating. They were using their scouters, scanning the area for any sort of reading. Just as their scouters began to beep, Chi-Chi felt an immense power nearing them. She looked over at Tien and Krillin.

"We feel it too," Tien whispered, reading the expression on her face. The stillness of the group was broken.

"Looks like we've got company," Bardock said, removing his hand from his scouter. "It shouldn't be too much of a challenge. The Earthlings won't want to get in the way of this one, though," he looked towards Chi-Chi and her companions. Without being told twice, Krillin, Tien, and Bulma backed away from the eager group of Saiyans. Chi-Chi was a little more reluctant to back off. She hated sitting on the sidelines and was more than willing to do _something_.

In a flash, the sand was blowing wildly in every direction. A tall, proud, muscular figure landed in the midst of the swirling sand. He studied the people before him, but paid hardly any attention to any of them. He kept his dark eyes fixed on Chi-Chi. She stared back, scarcely believing what she was seeing. When her father and Gohan were younger, they had fought a monster of a similar description. They had told Chi-Chi stories of the battle and how they barely won. As she stared upon the figure, her heart beat faster and faster. She had been told from a young age that this monster was defeated. So how was he standing before her now?

"The Ox King's daughter," he said, laughing darkly. "We meet at last." He walked past the Saiyans to stand directly in front of Chi-Chi, who was too afraid to move. "I've been waiting for you. Your father destroyed mine, and my sole purpose in living is to defeat you."

"How are you-" Chi-Chi choked, barely managing to get the words out.

"I was born shortly before my father died. I guess you could say I am him, since he poured so much of himself into me. He assured me that once I rid the Earth of its protector, I couldn't be stopped in fulfilling his dream of commanding the planet," the figure folded his arms, smiling.

"You can't have this planet," Chi-Chi snarled, willing her limbs to move into a defensive position. Try as she might, she was still paralyzed with shock. She wished the Saiyans would attack while his back was turned, but she knew they were too proud to do that.

"You've already brought the remaining Dragonballs that I need," he said motioning towards a pack in Bulma's arms. "Once I defeat you, nothing stands in my way. I shall finally have the title of King. King Piccolo," he threw back his head and laughed.

Chi-Chi growled and mustered up all of her concentration. If her father could beat him, then so could she. She didn't need the Saiyans' help. This matter didn't involve them, anyway. While Piccolo was laughing, she charged forward planning to deliver a sound kick to his stomach. Piccolo was paying more attention to her than she had originally thought and she realized this a moment too late. Piccolo's arm snapped forward and caught her leg mid-kick. He lifted her up off the ground, transferring his grip from her ankle to her neck. He smiled ferociously as he stopped Chi-Chi's air supply. Her lungs were burning, and her vision was fading. He threw her aside. She was gasping for breath, and felt the sweet relief of the cool air filling her lungs. Her relief didn't last long, as moments later she crashed to the ground, her body burning.


	12. Piccolo's Fall

"Chi-Chi!" Kakarot cried, running towards her. She was almost touched that the Saiyan was rushing to help her. However, Piccolo was also advancing on her and she had little time to dwell on the matter. She struggled to stand. Piccolo raised his hand, energy filling his palm. As he launched the blast toward Chi-Chi, Kakarot reached her side deflecting the blast. He helped Chi-Chi to stand. She was puzzled as to why the Saiyan had such a desire to help her. Neither of them had really coexisted peacefully until now.

"Why did you help me?" she asked. She wasn't angry, she was merely curious. Kakarot shrugged his shoulders and smiled sheepishly.

"I can't let him hurt you," he admitted. Chi-Chi mustered a smile and shakily repositioned her limbs in a defense position. Kakarot stood slightly ahead of her, tensing for an attack.

"My quarrel is with this Earthling," Piccolo grunted at Kakarot. "Move out of my way and you will be spared." Kakarot merely squared his shoulders and stared at Piccolo, a fiery rage in his eyes. Chi-Chi could hardly believe she was starting to develop feelings for the Saiyan right _now_; it was pitiful.

"If your fight is with her, then it's with me too," Kakarot said. He wasn't about to back down. Piccolo's face contorted into a twisted smile.

"Fool," he laughed. "You cannot hope to defeat me." He began to advance once more, this time focusing his attacks solely on Kakarot. Both of them moved too fast for Chi-Chi to follow. She wasn't sure who had the upper hand. She saw a couple ki blasts as well as some hits contact, but other than that she was completely unsure of what was happening. She wished there was some way in which she could help, but she was afraid she would hit Kakarot instead of Piccolo. As she squinted, trying to determine what was transpiring in the battle between Kakarot and Piccolo, she felt a blow- seemingly out of nowhere- connect with the base of her neck. She stumbled forward, collapsing to the ground. Her vision was fuzzy and her head was light. She felt entirely useless. She looked around, trying to see where Kakarot and Piccolo were fighting now.

To her surprise the two of them had stopped, and were facing each other. Kakarot looked quite relaxed, but Piccolo was breathing heavily and signs of Kakarot's blows were appearing all over his green skin.

"Quit toying with me," he said, angrily. He dabbed at some blood underneath his eye. "I know you're not using half your power. I won't accept that." Kakarot shrugged.

"Alright," he grinned. "It's _your _life." As though through silent consent, both Kakarot and Piccolo continued their attacks on each other.

"Kakarot!" Chi-Chi called, though she had long since lost sight of him, "Be careful!" There was something in her, a warning that made her sense he was too confident in his abilities. She looked around at the other Saiyans. They were standing calmly in the distance, their eyes following Piccolo and Kakarot's rapid movements.

"Aren't you going to help him?" she asked them. Raditz turned his eyes from the fight to answer. He looked shocked that Chi-Chi found it necessary to ask such a question.

"Kakarot clearly has the upper hand," he said, calmly. "He can handle this easily." He flashed Chi-Chi a reassuring smile before returning his gaze to the fight. The Saiyans' unwillingness to help frustrated her. She didn't want to sit there uselessly when Kakarot had stepped up to protect her. She _hated_ owing people. If no one else was going to help, she might as well step forward. Chi-Chi concentrated, not with her eyes, but with her mind. She focused on the two immense power levels. Currently, Kakarot and Piccolo were fighting in the sky. She gathered all her energy and pushed it underneath her, gently raising herself to the sky. For a moment, she was able to lay eyes on Piccolo. She flew forward full speed, charging to attack him. Things happened so quickly. Piccolo disappeared again, and she heard Kakarot cry out. She realized that Piccolo had her in his grasp. She struggled against him, but it was no use. Even in his weakened state, he was still stronger than she currently was.

"You are strong, aren't you?" Piccolo asked, addressing Kakarot. Kakarot was paying little to no attention to him. He was staring at Chi-Chi. She whispered her apologies. Her attempts to assist had done nothing but make the situation worse.

"But I have noticed your one weak spot," he grinned and held Chi-Chi tighter. It took all she had in her to not cry out in pain. "If you leave the fighting to the two of us, I promise I'll give her a sporting chance. Otherwise, I'll just kill her now."

"Not if I kill you first," Kakarot growled, charging up an energy blast. Piccolo merely laughed. Chi-Chi heard Raditz call from the ground.

"Kakarot, don't be a fool! If you try and attack him, you could hit Chi-Chi," he reasoned with his brother. Kakarot lowered his hand and Chi-Chi said a silent prayer of thanks.

"I think you're finally starting to see reason," Piccolo smirked. An idea popped into Chi-Chi's head. She cursed at herself for not thinking of it sooner. She wasn't sure how much longer Kakarot would be able to distract Piccolo, but it was better late than never. She placed her wrists together, gathering her concentration together once more.

"Ka…me…ha…" she muttered the syllables under her breath. For the moment Piccolo was too distracted with taunting Kakarot to notice his impending doom. Kakarot, however, picked up on the fact that Chi-Chi had the chance to hit Piccolo with a powerful attack and did his best to keep him distracted. She raised her voice to its full level as she spoke the last two syllables. She unleashed all the fury she could into the attack. It caught Piccolo, unaware, full in the chest. He released her and she began to fall. She assessed the damage she had done as they both fell and she smiled to herself. Piccolo had a gaping hole in his chest and wouldn't be able to last long.

She closed her eyes, too weak to save herself from her impending impact with the ground. Suddenly, she felt gentle arms underneath her before she connected with the ground. She was falling slower now. She opened her eyes to see Kakarot, grinning hugely at her.

"You did it," he said, happily.

"You did most of the work," Chi-Chi admitted. "Thanks," she said, feeling her face flush scarlet. She didn't think she'd be able to feel much of anything for awhile, but she could feel her elevated heartbeat as well as the increasing thickness of her own tongue. She was pitiful. She smiled back at Kakarot.

"Hey, he had the Dragonballs with him," Bulma cried, running towards Piccolo. "We've almost got them all!" She picked up the Dragonballs surrounding the fallen foe's body. He was too weak to protest, his body losing its strength. He merely glared at her with all the hate he could muster.

"We're only missing the four star Dragonball," Bulma said, studying the stars embedded in the other balls.

"We're not missing it," Kakarot spoke up. "I have it."

"How did _you_ get a Dragonball?" Bulma asked, placing her hands on her hips. Chi-Chi laughed a little. Bulma was so serious.

"Gohan gave it to him," she smiled. "No one was supposed to know. Not even me, but I overheard their conversation."

"Well then, what are we dawdling around for?" Verspa piped up. "Let's make our wish."' She looked around at the others, her eyes glinting with a certain mischievousness.


	13. The True Battle Begins

All seven orange orbs were glowing. It was a spectacle that Chi-Chi couldn't even begin to describe. It was beautiful. The sky had darkened to the blackest void, though moments before it had been mid-day. There were several brilliant flashes of light and momentarily, the Great Dragon was before them.

* * *

><p>"Brother," Verspa whispered, leaning towards Vegeta. Her voice was low so that none of the others could hear her. Vegeta grudgingly turned his attentions to her.<p>

"Why waste this wish on destroying Frieza?" she asked, grinning.

"What are you talking about?" he asked sharply. "Wishing Frieza dead isn't a waste of a wish."

"Why wish he was dead when you can kill him yourself?" she asked, raising an eyebrow. "Wish for immortality. If you or I were immortal, we'd be the ultimate beings in this universe. We could take his place as supreme ruler." Vegeta scoffed. Sometimes his sister's rambling dreams were nonsensical.

"I don't care for ruling the universe," he said, much to the surprise of his sister. "That is a dream I've long forgotten. Right now, all I want is peace for my people. Isn't that the most important thing?" he asked.

* * *

><p>"-I cannot take away a life," rumbled the Great Dragon.<p>

"But Frieza-" Sona began.

"-It cannot be done."

Chi-Chi could hear Piccolo's strangled laugh in the distance. She looked over at him, darkly. His breathing was shallow and rapid. He didn't have much longer to live.

"Fools," he rasped. "Before you state your wish I'll be dead."

"Then good riddance," Chi-Chi spat. Piccolo laughed again, this time coughing as well.

"You don't understand do you?" he asked. "Kami created the Dragonballs. I _am_ Kami. I am all of the evil inside Kami. Though we are separate beings we are connected. If I die, the Dragonballs won't work."

"What?" Chi-Chi gasped. She hadn't expected this. And Piccolo was almost dead. There wasn't any choice. They had to use their wish to revive him. "Strike a deal with us," she offered. Piccolo scoffed.

"What could you possibly have to offer?" he asked.

"Train with us. Help us defeat Frieza," she said.

"Chi-Chi," Kakarot said, slowly, "What are you doing?"

"If Frieza is allowed to live, it won't be long before he controls this planet as well," she continued, ignoring Kakarot's doubts. "It's within your best interests."

"If it keeps me alive, then fine," he consented. "But once we're through fighting Frieza, don't think for a second that I'm done fighting you."

"As long as you'll help it doesn't matter," Chi-Chi said, turning back to the dragon. Verspa was already addressing him. There was a problem. She needed to be stopped.

"Dragon," Verspa spoke loudly. Vegeta could hardly believe the things she'd just told him. She was crazy. There was something in her that snapped, something that wasn't quite the same. She couldn't possibly be stupid enough to try and take Frieza's place. That would mean she was no different from Frieza himself. And that would make his sister one of his worst enemies.

"Verspa," he interrupted. "You can't wish for this. It's foolish."

"Is it foolish?" she asked, sharply. "Is asking for the power we _should have_ been born with, foolish? Really, Brother, I thought you had more vision than that."

"If you wish for immortality, you'll be no better than Frieza," Vegeta retaliated angrily. Verspa only laughed, adding to his anger.

"Of course I'll be better than Frieza, you idiot," she smirked. "The difference will be that I can't _die_."

"What are you saying?" he asked, his hands clenching into fists.

"You want to know the truth, Brother? The truth that you've been too blind to see? I work for Frieza. I always have. Once I wish for my immortality, I will continue my service to Frieza. He'll do all of the laborious tasks of taking over the known galaxies, and then I'll kill him. It's like being handed ultimate power."

"You-" Vegeta growled, launching himself at her. From that moment on, he didn't care who she was. She was truthfully his flesh and blood, though she was simultaneously a complete stranger. She was a Saiyan, yet she was an embarrassing coward. She was his most trusted companion and friend, but she had lied and betrayed him countless times.

Chi-Chi noticed that Vegeta had distracted Verspa, whether it was intentional or not. Now was the chance for her to make her wish.

"Dragon," she yelled. "I wish for you to heal Piccolo."

"It shall be done," he replied slowly, his eyes glowing red. Chi-Chi looked over at Piccolo. His mortal wounds were healing themselves instantly, and she could feel his energy level rising once more. He stood, a cross expression on his face. Chi-Chi turned back to the Dragonballs just in time to see all seven of them scatter to different corners of the Earth.

Verspa and Vegeta turned their attentions from each other for a fraction of a second. They both saw the Dragonballs scatter. The sky was returned to its former brilliant blue. Verspa stomped forward, shaking with rage.

"Fools," she screamed. "How could you waste your wish on so pitiful a creature?"

"It was better than granting you immortality, you traitorous little worm," Vegeta spat. Verspa threw a dark look at her brother.

"You have no idea what you've brought upon yourselves. I've already summoned some of Frieza's men. I informed them the moment we started searching for the Dragonballs. They'll be here any day now. They're more powerful than any of you could even imagine," she smiled menacingly at the Earthlings. Chi-Chi wanted to do nothing more than hit the Saiyan girl, but she knew it would do no good, so she kept her temper under control.

"And you," she said, rounding on her fellow Saiyans. "Frieza has quite a few lovely surprises in store for the surviving Saiyans. We could have avoided _that_ mess. Don't expect to remain together for much longer." She turned to her brother. "And your precious low level, Cerorai? She's as good as dead," Verspa laughed, "I'd like the pleasure of killing her myself. Kai knows her sister wasn't any fun to kill at _all_."

Vegeta was boiling with rage. He wasn't sure why he hadn't noticed this side of his sister before. Perhaps his compassion towards her _had_ blinded him. He wasn't going to make the same mistake again. He would make sure that she never made it back to Frieza's ship. She had threatened the weak Earthlings who had done nothing but help them. She had even gone so far as to threaten his people. And Cerorai. Vegeta wasn't sure as to why her attack on Cerorai was so offensive to him as of yet, but he couldn't let his mind dwell on it. It was time for action. It didn't matter whether Verspa's backup was seconds away or days away. He had to kill her. And he had to do it now.


	14. Vegeta's Agony

Vegeta rushed at his sister, his blood boiling. Never had he been so infuriated. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw Raditz moving forward to help.

"Don't move," he spat. "If anyone is going to kill her, it's going to be me." Verspa laughed. She wasn't defending herself from her brothers' impending attack.

"You're getting a little eager, aren't you?" she asked as she easily dodged his first attack. So she was resorting to taunting him now. He bellowed with rage and turned to attack again. "You'd think you'd show a little sympathy to your own flesh and blood," she laughed. This time Vegeta's blow clipped her jaw. He smiled slightly.

"That didn't stop you from slaughtering our father, did it?" he asked. Her once calm eyes now spat fire. Her lips twisted into a wicked smile as she rushed towards him. He dodged the frantic ki attacks that she launched in his direction.

"He deserved to die," she said. "He was weak. No weak Saiyan should be allowed to survive." She kicked at Vegeta's head, missing her target, but catching his shoulder. He quickly grabbed onto her ankle and twisted, causing her to lose her balance and crash to the ground.

"Is that why you're going to kill me?" he asked, digging his heel into her chest. "Because I'm _weak_?" He folded his arms and smiled down at her.

"You're not weak," she wheezed, "You're simply an imbecile. And you're in my way." She grimaced at the pain in her chest, but managed to guide her knee into her brother's groin, immediately freeing her from his grip. She stood quickly, preparing another attack.

Vegeta quickly regained his composure, dodging his sister's next attack just in time. The two of them hadn't actually fought in quite some time. When they were younger, they used to spar together, vehemently refusing to spar with Raditz. Vegeta had always respected his sister's strength, and even admired that it rivaled his own physical prowess. Now he was merely irritated. As the two of them moved quickly, trading blows and barely missing others, his sister's fighting style came back to him. It was quite helpful, yet very distracting. He remembered all of her favorite attacks as well as some of the flaws in her form. Yet, at the same time, the memories distracted him.

When he had sparred with his sister, the two of them were young and excited. As far as they knew, they still belonged to a strong, thriving, powerful race. Verspa was the only person of Frieza's ship that Vegeta allowed himself to trust. At the time, it was the same for Verspa as well. On their first mission, which was quite successful, the two had remained by each others' side, making quick work of delivering the planet to Frieza. When they had received the news that their planet had been destroyed, Verspa proposed an idea to him. Since they were among the few remaining Saiyans, they had to do their best to become the strongest and most powerful Saiyans that had ever lived. He wondered where his sister's innocent desire for strength had gone. She didn't merely desire strength anymore. She was obsessed with the idea of becoming the most powerful being in the universe. Frieza, the leader that Vegeta had once admired, had poisoned his sister's mind. Vegeta was grateful that he had escaped such a fate. However, more than any physical pain, it hurt that he couldn't make his sister see his side. It hurt that she had finally found something that was more important to her than he was. His pain was converted to rage, and fired his actions.

He interrupted their smooth battle by catching her in the stomach with his fist. She staggered backwards. Vegeta was on auto-pilot; he raised his hands and sent a series of powerful ki blasts in her direction. Before he could assess the damage he'd done to her, he zoomed forward. He couldn't think. He didn't have time to think. When the smoke cleared from his ki blasts, Vegeta came to his senses, finally beginning to observe his surroundings. His arm had found its way through his sister's stomach. She was staring at him, wide-eyed, and clutching at his arm. Vegeta immediately felt sorrow and regret for slaughtering his sister, but he reminded himself that it had to be done.

He studied her face, so similar to his own. Her high forehead was drenched in sweat, her wild black hair was sticking out at nearly every angle, and her dark eyes were losing their depth. Her lips, which usually held an expression of superiority or defiance, were merely parted in shock. At their corner, Vegeta could see a trickle of scarlet seeping down the side of her face. He was too numb to remove his arm from her core and merely let it remain there, embedded in his sister's body.

"V-Vegeta," she whispered. Her horrified expression was sure to haunt him for the rest of his life.

"I'm sorry," he whispered back, finally finding the strength to wrench his arm out of his sister. She slumped forward on her knees. Her eyes never left his. She was staring in his direction. He was the last thing she ever saw. Her eyes glazed over becoming empty and hollow. Vegeta backed away from his sister's lifeless form. Once more Raditz moved forward.

"Vegeta," he said softly, "I'm so sorry." Vegeta tried to put on a calloused front. He merely shrugged his shoulders and went to rejoin the group.

"I did what had to be done," he said over his shoulder. He saw Raditz gently pick up Verspa's body. There was a look in his comrade's eye that Vegeta hadn't often seen written on the face of a Saiyan. Kakarot's parents were the only fools he had ever seen share that look. Perhaps Raditz had always looked at his sister that way, but this was the first time he'd noticed. Raditz rested his forehead against the dead princess', muttering something softly. Vegeta wished he could show the same kind of sorrow and regret, but his pride was stopping him. The pride that his sister had managed to damage beyond repair.

"What are you all standing around for?" he asked as he neared his companions. "You heard Verspa. She called for back-up. Her reinforcements could arrive any moment, and you Earthlings are hardly prepared for what's coming. Tien, you're sparring with me. The rest of you might want to find a sparring partner as well." He continued past the group, eventually hearing Tien's reluctant footsteps behind him.

Vegeta's mind should be concentrated on battle, but it was far away from any known galaxy. He had just destroyed the one thing that meant the world to him.


	15. Hope's Relief

Chi-Chi followed her training partner in silence. They didn't stray too far from the majority of the group, though no one was really paying attention to anyone else. Kakarot stopped walking and turned to face her.

"So now we train," he shrugged putting his defenses up. Chi-Chi followed suit, though she went through the motions half-heartedly. Her mind was far from training.

"Who do you think Frieza will send?" she asked, lowering her limbs. She knew she should be trying to concentrate, but her mind was flying in too many different directions. Kakarot merely shrugged.

"I'm not very familiar with the members of Frieza's troops," he admitted, "but I'm sure it will be someone far stronger than Verspa."At his response, Chi-Chi did her best to mask her concern. She was worried about her friends. And her father. And Gohan. Her father and Gohan were on their way to join their small group. They were bringing Yamcha. He had refused to stay behind at Capsule Corp and heal from his tournament wounds and obviously her father and Gohan were sick of trying to keep him cooped up. If Frieza sent a soldier stronger than Verspa, none of them would last long. Chi-Chi didn't mask her concern very well. She could feel the lines of worry spreading across her face. Kakarot took a few steps toward her and gently placed his arm around her.

"Don't worry," he whispered. "I won't let anything happen to you." He drew her in close. Chi-Chi buried her face in his chest, attempting to calm herself.

"It's not _me_ I'm worried about," she confessed, shakily. She took a deep breath.

"Don't worry," he repeated firmly, "I won't let anything happen to _any_ of you." Chi-Chi looked up at him, studying his face. She knew she didn't deserve his kindness. Kakarot was constantly doing things for her that she didn't understand. She was filled with conflicting emotions. She hated him for always being so willing to help her, yet she loved him for it.

"Why are you doing this?" she asked slowly.

"Doing what?" he asked, genuinely puzzled.

"Being so kind. Offering to help me. I've been nothing but rude to you," Chi-Chi looked down at her feet.

"You offered to help me," he reminded her. "You were the first to offer your assistance, even if you didn't trust us." Kakarot was holding her at arm's length. Chi-Chi looked up from her feet into his face. His usually innocent and carefree eyes held a serious determination as he studied her face.

"For that, I am indebted to you forever."

"But the Dragonballs didn't even work," Chi-Chi said, shaking her head. "We just dragged you around for nothing." She averted her eyes once more. Kakarot was adamant, but she knew the truth. She hadn't helped any.

"You couldn't have known the wish wouldn't work," Kakarot reassured her. "And _you_ stopped Verspa from becoming immortal." Chi-Chi bit her lip.

"I just- I don't deserve-" she fumbled. Kakarot took her face in his hands. Once more, she raised her eyes to meet his.

"-Chi-Chi," he said, softly interrupting her, "You've done more for my people than you will ever know. You deserve a little help in return. I promise nothing is going to happen to any of you. Not under my watch."

Chi-Chi stared into his face for a moment longer, still struggling with her conflicting emotions. She didn't really even know what was happening inside her anymore. It was as though she was an innocent bystander, looking on as her heart waged war with itself. The stubborn, headstrong part of herself hated her for falling in love with the Saiyan. The docile, obedient part of herself was asking why she _couldn't_ submit to her feelings. The rational and logical part of herself was scratching its head, wondering what in Kami's name was going on.

She continued to stare into Kakarot's eyes. They seemed to be the only thing around her that remained constant. They were calm and endless. As she looked on, Chi-Chi's defenses dropped, and she succumbed at last. She crushed her lips to his. Kakarot's body went rigid and he let out a small gasp of surprise. When the initial shock of Chi-Chi's action had passed, she felt him relax once more. He returned her kiss, gently. Chi-Chi felt a shock ripple through her core. She grinned girlishly as they broke apart.

"Maybe we should start training now?" she asked after a moment, still grinning widely. Kakarot returned her smile in his own boyish and mischievous way. Upon seeing Kakarot's smile light up his face, all of Chi-Chi's doubts and fears melted away. In their place was a sense of hope. She had never been this optimistic in her life. Chi-Chi realized that she finally trusted this Saiyan. She trusted him with all her heart.

"Maybe," came Kakarot's reply.


	16. Verspa's Bluff

Verspa was bluffing," Raditz repeated. He had interrupted Kakarot and Chi-Chi's training. His face was serious as he relayed his message.

"You're sure?" Chi-Chi asked again, still not daring to believe it. If Frieza wasn't sending troops, then she wouldn't have to worry about her friends and family's safety. Raditz nodded.

"She didn't send for backup. Frieza tried contacting her while I was-" Raditz's voice cut off, not allowing him to finish his sentence. He bit his lip and continued. "It was just a check-in. He wanted to see when she would have the Dragonballs and told her to check in with him."

"So, when he realizes she's dead, he'll head straight for Earth," Kakarot said slowly, putting the pieces together. Raditz sighed.

"We can't be sure, but, yeah. Probably. Frieza won't trust anyone else with a job Verspa couldn't handle," Raditz said, folding his arms.

"What are we going to do?" Chi-Chi whispered. "We can't destroy Frieza, it's impossible."

"It's not impossible," Kakarot said, "But we won't even attempt it here. We should lure him back to Vegeta. Have you told any of the others?" he asked his brother. Raditz shook his head. "I think we need to present the information to them, then," Kakarot began to walk away, calling out towards the others. Chi-Chi and Raditz followed closely behind. Once their small band had gathered together, Raditz informed them all of the news.

"Well, the good part is that we don't have to worry about any freaky aliens, right guys?" Oolong piped up, breaking the silence.

"No, you idiot," Bulma hissed. "Earth is still the target unless we can think of a plan to draw Frieza away."

"Oh," Oolong said, falling silent.

"Kakarot is right," Bardock piped up. "We can't let Frieza come to this planet. No offense, but none of you would stand a chance."

"How are you going to draw him away?" Tien asked. "You don't have the Dragonballs anymore."

"Yeah," Piccolo laughed darkly, "You used them to revive me. Once you make a wish, you have to wait a year to use them again."

"Frieza doesn't know that," Sona said. "All we have to do is convince Frieza that we are in possession of the Dragonballs. Then, when we return to Vegeta, he'll follow us."

"When he finds out you don't really have them, he won't be too happy," Master Roshi mused.

"Let us worry about that," Vegeta growled.

"That reminds me," Chi-Chi spoke up, timidly. "When you draw Frieza away, you don't expect all of us to just sit here and let you fight him, do you?"

"What? What do you mean?" Raditz asked her. Chi-Chi discreetly turned her focus to Kakarot, not removing her eyes from his face.

"We offered to help you, didn't we? Some of us will want to see it through to the end. Some of us are going to want to come with you."

"That would be suicide," Raditz warned.

"You've never heard of dying for your friends?" Chi-Chi asked. "Besides, we could be wished back with the Dragonballs."

"I suppose if any of you want to come, we can't stop you," Bardock agreed. "The help would be appreciated."

"Well you can count me out," Oolong said, quickly. Raditz threw him a dirty look.

"Thanks a lot, _friend_," he muttered. Oolong put his hands up in surrender.

"What am I gonna do? I'm just a pig!" he protested. Still, Raditz's withering look was unrelenting. Oolong heaved a sigh. "Fine, I guess I'm coming. But it's only for moral support; don't expect me to do any fighting."

"We can decide who will accompany us to Vegeta later," Bardock said. "We need to fine tune our plan." Their little group divided up into smaller, more specialized sections, with the intent to meet back together at the end of the day. As they were splitting into groups, Kakarot caught Chi-Chi by the arm, and gently pulled her aside.

"Chi-Chi," he started, his deep eyes filled with concern. Chi-Chi knew what he was going to say, and she shook her head furiously.

"You can't make me change my mind," she said, cutting him off. "I'm going back to Vegeta with you. I won't be able to do much, but maybe I can help a little." She glared at him defiantly, a smile spread across her face. Kakarot laughed a little.

"I wasn't going to try to stop you," he said. "If there's one thing I've learned about you, it's that I can't make you change your mind." Chi-Chi almost laughed aloud at this. If only he knew how _much_ he'd changed her mind. "I just wanted to thank you," he continued. "Not many people would have volunteered to go back to Vegeta with us. But," he added. "Think about what you're agreeing to do, okay? It's dangerous."

Chi-Chi's reply was cut off before she could even open her mouth to speak it. She could see large silhouettes on the hill, and a deep, cheery voice calling her name. It must be Gohan, Yamcha, and her father. Without thinking, she ran quickly towards the sound of her name.

"Papa!" she called, happily. She ran to her father, who caught her up in his arms, hugged her tightly, and set her down again. "It's good to see the three of you again," she smiled.

"You have no idea how good it feels to be here," Yamcha said, sighing contentedly. His condition did look quite improved. He smiled at Chi-Chi and continued sauntering down the hill.

"What exciting adventures of yours have we missed, my dear?" Gohan asked. Chi-Chi regaled him of their Dragonball hunting days. She told them of the battle with Piccolo, their old foe, and Verspa's betrayal. She told them of Verspa's defeat as well as her bluff. Lastly, she filled them in on their plan to draw Frieza away from Earth. Gohan and her father listened patiently and intently, hanging on to her every word. When she finished, she was greeted by several moments of silence.

"Well," her father spoke up, "Maybe next time, we should just come with you in the beginning. We missed out on all the fun." Chi-Chi laughed and led her father and Gohan down the hill to join with the rest of the group. She felt relieved that Earth was no longer Frieza's target, but she knew there was a lot of work to be done before everyone would be completely safe.


	17. Departure

Chi-Chi felt odd standing outside Capsule Corp with a group of somber looking Saiyans. Her friends had joined her, too. Bulma and Dr. Briefs were inside, putting the final touches on their ship. She thanked Kami for their genius. Their departure would have been delayed for a long time if Bulma and her father weren't so quick on their feet. All the pieces were set. There was one final thing that needed to be done.

Bardock clutched Verspa's scouter tightly in his fist. He cast a glance at all the somber faces of the group, as though checking to make sure they were ready. He took a deep breath and signaled Frieza. Chi-Chi held her breath, waiting for Frieza's reply. She hardly knew what she expected the devil's voice to sound like, and she wasn't prepared for what it _did_ sound like.

"You maggot," Frieza spoke through the scouter. His cold, sly voice sent chills down Chi-Chi's spine. "Why does it take you so long to report back to me? It's almost like you don't _want_ to talk."

"Your puppet is dead," Bardock said, addressing Frieza. "She didn't get to the Dragonballs in time. Obviously you needed to send someone who could do a better job."

"Bardock," Frieza hissed. "I should have known you'd be the fool to continue to stand in my way. Rest assured you won't be dealing with any of my incompetent men anymore. You'll be dealing directly with me."

"We won't be dealing with you at all, actually," Bardock growled. "We've got the Dragonballs and soon Vegeta will be restored to its former glory. You don't expect to be able to stand alone against an army of angry Saiyans, do you?"

"You don't think I can?" Frieza laughed. "Maybe it's a good thing I'm going to slaughter you. Idiots like you shouldn't be allowed to live."

"Your reign ends now," Bardock said. With that, he dropped Verspa's scouter and crushed it underneath his foot. He looked up at his comrades. "Anyone who's coming with us: let's move," he commanded, walking back towards the Brief's home. All the Saiyans turned to follow Bardock. Kakarot hesitated, waiting for Chi-Chi. She gently squeezed his hand.

"I'll catch up," she whispered. He followed the others, and Chi-Chi turned to her friends. She smiled sadly. "I guess this is goodbye, then," she said, sighing.

"Not for me," Krillin piped up. "I'm not about to miss this." He walked to her side.

"You wished for my health so that I could aid the Saiyans," Piccolo mused aloud. "This Frieza sounds like a worthy opponent. There's nothing to do here, anyway," he walked slowly forward. "I guess you can count me in, too." Chi-Chi turned her eyes to Yamcha, Tien, and Chiatzou.

"I'm not going to be of any use at all," Yamcha sighed. "I think I'll sit this one out."

"Same here," Tien spoke up. "All I'd be good for is getting myself killed."

"I'm staying with Mr. Tien," Chiatzou said, hovering by his friend. Chi-Chi nodded. She turned her attention to her father and Gohan.

"I'm not even going to ask you two trouble makers," she said, laughing slightly. "I don't want to have to worry about you."

"Be careful, Chi-Chi," said her father, pulling her into a tight hug. "Don't let Kakarot distract you too much, okay?" he grinned, winking at her. Chi-Chi blushed, but said nothing. Her attraction to Kakarot wasn't really a secret to anyone anymore. Chi-Chi, Krillin, and Piccolo turned to join the rest of the Saiyans.

"Goodbye, guys, and good luck!" her friends called. She turned and waved over her shoulder. She felt strangely optimistic about the daunting task ahead of her.

The large ship built by Bulma and Dr. Briefs was hard to miss. Chi-Chi quickly boarded, joining the Saiyans. She was greeted by Bulma and her father.

"Okay, kids," Dr. Briefs said, addressing them, "This is it. We modified your Saiyan pod design a bit, obviously to make more room for all of you. We were able to add more thrusters as well, so your travel time will be significantly decreased," he saluted them and then tucked his hands casually into the pockets of his lab coat. "Best of luck to all of you," he called as he exited the ship. Bulma rushed forward and gave Chi-Chi a tight hug.

"Good luck, Chi-Chi," she said, as she pulled away. "Hope you guys get your planet back," she called to the Saiyans. With that, she bounded down the stairs. They heard the door to their ship hiss shut.

As they strapped themselves down for takeoff, Chi-Chi noticed that Vegeta wasn't on board. She turned to Kakarot.

"Where's Vegeta?" she whispered. "We're not leaving without him, are we?"

"Don't worry," Kakarot smiled. "We decided we needed a man on the inside. Vegeta is going ahead of us to try and convince Frieza he's still loyal. That way, we'll know all of Frieza's moves. And when Frieza comes down to planet Vegeta to deal with _us_, Vegeta can free the Saiyans trapped in the ship and take it over."

"Not bad," Chi-Chi smiled at him.

"Yeah," he grinned. "For a bunch of monkeys, we're pretty smart." He leaned over and kissed her cheek. It burned pleasantly. She subconsciously lifted her hand to her cheek, as though trying to keep the pleasant warmth trapped there. Her cheeks flushed slightly red. She felt the ship hum to life and vibrate gently as they were raised up into the sky. She didn't know what to expect on planet Vegeta. She didn't know how hard it would be to defeat Frieza. But she hoped that she lasted to the end. She wanted to see all of the Saiyans happy again. But more than anything, she wanted to stay with Kakarot. With him by her side, not even someone as ferocious as Frieza could shake her courage.

* * *

><p><strong>A\N:<strong> Book three is finally finished! Huzzah! Sorry these last updates have been few and far between. With the end of school approaching I had lots of studying to do :\ Thank you, thank you, thank you for all of the reviews, favorites, and subscriptions! I got overwhelmingly positive feedback, so that makes me a happy camper! Also, I'm really glad that my portrayal of Chi-Chi as a stubborn, fiery-willed, B.A. fighter was approved (this is the way I pictured she would act if she was actually allowed to _do_ anything in the Dragonball Z universe…)! My next installment of the series, The Last Massacre, will be uploaded soon (if not at the same time I post this…), so keep an eye out! It will be my last "full length" story of the series (told in various POVs), seeing as how the epilogue will be more of a collection of lengthy one-shots than anything else. Updates will continue to be scattered because I don't have internet at my house for the time being. I _promise_ I'm still working, though! Best wishes to you!


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